The Montreal Canadiens must get results soon or the pathway to a playoff spot turns from unlikely to impossible. On the cusp of the final wild-card berth, the Habs gave up a 2-0 lead Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks.
They are on a three-game road trip in California knowing they need to find their game again. On stop one in Anaheim, the carnage continued – the Canadiens suffered their fifth-straight loss as the Duck flew back for a 3-2 win.
Wilde Horses
Montreal opened the scoring with more excellence from Jake Evans while killing penalties. Evans, smartly, waited on the right wall, just over the blue line, for Joel Armia to move into the lane for a breakaway pass.
Armia made a quick move from the backhand to the forehand for the tally. The penalty kill then absolutely dominated Anaheim as the Canadiens held onto the puck for 50 seconds with the Ducks offering no pressure on the Canadiens puck carrier.
Montreal earned a power play chance in the first period, and the special teams came through there as well. Christian Dvorak scored on a rebound.
The first period was Montreal’s best since the opening frame against the Maple Leafs on Feb. 18.
Then, they fell apart.
Wilde Goats
At 2-0 Montreal, the Canadiens played like a club without confidence. A top club with a two-goal lead goes for the jugular; they pour it on. They realize that if they go up by three goals, the two points are theirs. The forecheck must continue. Pucks in deep must continue. The energy must stay high.
What the Canadiens did instead was stop everything that they did to take that two-goal lead. In the second period, Montreal played like a club waiting for the clock to wind down hoping they would still be leading when it did.
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The Canadiens didn’t work a single scoring chance until the Ducks came back to tie it up at two. When a club is young, the confidence is fragile. The game plan can die as soon as the opposition gets one as the players feel the inevitable is coming. It did.
The Canadiens could not get the game back. On Anaheim’s winning goal, the defensive partnership of Arber Xhekaj backed right into Samuel Montembeault. They were basically right in front of Montembeault when Alex Killorn scored.
Head Coach Martin St. Louis singled out Patrik Laine for poor play allowing him only one shift in the third period. It is true that Laine wasn’t good, however, no one was. The negative attention now gets focused on one player. That isn’t a good thing.
The Canadiens were not the superior club against a team that is among the worst in the league. The truth is the playoff fight is nearing its end for Montreal.
Projection to make the playoffs is 93 points as per the Columbus Blue Jackets’ pace. To get to 93 points, the Canadiens must achieve 20 wins and 10 losses in their last 30. They had a real chance at this only 12 days ago, but the hole that they dug was so big, that even a single losing run was a bridge too far.
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The prospect attention has been centrally focused on Ivan Demidov this season. Demidov is turning in the greatest U19 season in KHL history. However, another first-round pick from 2024 has impressed beyond management’s wildest dreams.
Michael Hage continues to provide stunning results as a freshman centre at Michigan University. Hage had another three points in the Wolverines’ 7-3 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday night.
Hage is the top scoring U19 player in college hockey with 28 points in 25 games. Second is James Hagens of Boston College. Hagens is expected to go top-three in the 2025 NHL draft. Hagens plays for the powerhouse Eagles on a line with Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. Hage plays with no one expected to have an NHL career.
What is striking is that Hage went 21st overall in the last draft. Hagens could go second in the 2025 draft. They have only seven months between them. If Hage were born only four months later, he would have been chosen in this draft and would not have been taken 21st, but much higher.
This is not to suggest that Hagens and Hage have the same ranking. Hagens is expected to have a much stronger career, but it can be suggested that the gap is not as significant as pundits are claiming.
Hage has 28 points in 25 games while Hagens has 27 in 24 games – nearly identical in their freshman seasons. They are the only two born in 2006 who are at a point-per-game pace. The third and fourth 2006-born are Cole Eiserman and Cole Hutson who both have 22 points in 23 games.
The Canadiens rebuild is complete when they have a strong second line. Demidov will be one solution on the wing. However, it’s paramount that they have a 200-foot solution at centre. If Kirby Dach can’t figure out how to play a complete game in the middle, Hage could also be an answer in that slot.
Hage’s ceiling keeps going higher with every game he plays.
